5:00 a.m. My alarm hasn’t even gone off yet, but I’m already awake from the sounds of the farm. Roosters are crowing, my host family is moving around, and through my east-facing window I can see the first light of the day over the Cordillera Blanca.
I stay in bed for about 10–15 minutes before getting up and going for a run. Running here isn’t easy—on my mountain, there are only two options: up or down. And no matter which way I go, I have to come back the opposite way! I usually run for 30 minutes to an hour before heading home for breakfast and morning chores.
In the morning, my host family and I take the sheep out to graze, let the chickens out of their cages and milk the cows. After finishing these tasks, we go back inside to eat breakfast together. While we eat, my host mom often starts making fresh cheese with the milk we just collected.
By around 7:30, it’s time to start work. Depending on the day, I might stay in my town of Racracallan or walk about an hour down the mountain to the district capital, Huata. My work changes depending on where I go. At the school, I lead classes. At the health post, I join nurses on house visits. At the municipality, I focus on water and engineering projects.
